Best material to fill the seams of slates

Peter Lu

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 10:46:43 AM3/27/01

to

Hi,

Could anyone suggest the best material to fill the seams between the
slates of pool table? Is there a web site for DIY? Thanks.

Bob Green

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 11:11:03 AM3/27/01

to Peter Lu

The guys used bees wax on mine (Texas)...seems to be doing OK at 2 years
& counting.
Bob

@homenews

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 3:52:31 PM3/27/01

to

Bondo works well and doesn't react to changing humidity or temperature

Peter Lu <peter...@lmco.com> wrote in message
news:3AC0B5E3...@lmco.com...

@homenews

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 3:51:32 PM3/27/01

to

Peter Lu <peter...@lmco.com> wrote in message
news:3AC0B5E3...@lmco.com...

Mark0

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 6:37:25 PM3/27/01

to

Never use bondo. Hell, even Rollins shuns Bondo. If you don't want to use
beeswax you can use Indian Creek Brand Rock Hard Water Putty. It dries very
hard and won't turn powdery.

Mark0 <--9 yrs of water putty on my basement table and still going strong
too

@homenews <m...@home.com> wrote in message
news:j47w6.108039$W05.20...@news1.rdc1.mi.home.com...

William Lee

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 6:36:14 PM3/27/01

to

Watched a guy recover the tables at the local pool hall.
He used candle wax melted with a propane torch and dripped onto the seam.
He then scraped up the excess and repeated the process several times.

William Lee

"Peter Lu" <peter...@lmco.com> wrote in message
news:3AC0B5E3...@lmco.com...

SSCS

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 5:52:22 PM3/27/01

to

You knew I could not let this one go by...

Go to www.advantasearch.com for all your answers...

SSCS<---- These slow pitches are too easy!!!

Peter Lu <peter...@lmco.com> wrote in message
news:3AC0B5E3...@lmco.com...

JC

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 6:56:40 PM3/27/01

to

In My Billiard Club

20 Pool tables (Floating Slate- not fastened to the frames) - 7 years
later - No Problems Ever!

"Peter Lu" <peter...@lmco.com> wrote in message
news:3AC0B5E3...@lmco.com...

JC

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 6:58:25 PM3/27/01

to

Forgot to mention

15 years as a billiard mechanic

Mark0

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 10:02:10 PM3/27/01

to

Untill you separate the pieces. I think if you use Bondo you're a hacker.
JMO of course.

Mark0

JC <JC5...@takeout.Hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:YM9w6.19390$wj1.2...@news1.rdc1.ab.home.com...

Mark0

unread,

Mar 27, 2001, 10:06:17 PM3/27/01

to

Just because I painted houses for 15 years doesn't mean I know/execute the
job in the best possible way. Those aren't credentials to me.

Mark0

JC <JC5...@takeout.Hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:BO9w6.19396$wj1.2...@news1.rdc1.ab.home.com...

Jack Stein

unread,

Mar 28, 2001, 8:09:26 AM3/28/01

to

Mark0 wrote:
>
> Never use bondo. Hell, even Rollins shuns Bondo. If you don't want to use
> beeswax you can use Indian Creek Brand Rock Hard Water Putty. It dries very
> hard and won't turn powdery.

I've never seen body putty, Bondo, Black Magic, or whatever turn
powdery? The mechanic that installed my table used body putty, and he's
done thousands of tables. I'm not saying water putty is no good, but
having used both products for their intended purposes, if I were to do
my own table I'd use the body putty. Bee's wax would probably be my
alternate choice. My first guess is any of the three would, and do,
work fine. Much more important would be the guy using the product, but,
how hard is it to do? If the table is good, the installation should be
pretty straight forward, including sealing the seams.

Jack
--
http://jbstein.com
http://deklevaflooring.com
http://chrismillerdolls.com

> Mark0 <--9 yrs of water putty on my basement table and still going strong
> too
>
> @homenews <m...@home.com> wrote in message
> news:j47w6.108039$W05.20...@news1.rdc1.mi.home.com...
> > Bondo works well and doesn't react to changing humidity or temperature
> >
> >
> > Peter Lu <peter...@lmco.com> wrote in message
> > news:3AC0B5E3...@lmco.com...
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > Could anyone suggest the best material to fill the seams between the
> > > slates of pool table? Is there a web site for DIY? Thanks.
> > >
> >
> >

--
http://jbstein.com
http://deklevaflooring.com
http://chrismillerdolls.com

Sherm Adamson

unread,

Mar 28, 2001, 8:43:00 AM3/28/01

to

The bad thing about bondo is that invariably after it is
applied, you must sand it lightly to even it up. There's no
way you can sand the bondo without also removing a little
slate. ANY slate sanded off is TOO MUCH! With beeswax, the
seams are skimmed with a wide blade and if done right, no
slate is removed. Beeswax may not appear to be as permanent
as bondo but I've been working on tables for 20 years and
have never had problems with it. It will certainly outlast
the cloth.
8^)
Sherm
--
Sherm Custom Billiard Cues
by Sherman L. Adamson
3352 Nine Mile Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45255
shop(513)553-2172 cell(513)237-1152
http://www.shermcue.com

Cattleac

unread,

Mar 28, 2001, 9:54:16 AM3/28/01

to

You can also cut the Bondo off with a sharp scraper, while it's still "hot" and
no sanding is needed.

Bill

Deadstrok9

unread,

Mar 29, 2001, 12:09:54 PM3/29/01

to

If you put the table together properly, the slates will match up where you
don't need much filler at all! Bondo is what I have been using for years with
better results than anything else I have tried. I use a wide blade putty knife
and when you do it right, you don't need to do any sanding....

All these posts I read about bondo make it sound like your repairing a rusted
out car and need to use globs of this stuff......it actually takes very little
to seam a slate....

Jim Halladay

RJsmit1

unread,

Mar 31, 2001, 5:15:46 PM3/31/01

to

My Diamond Professional was set up with beeswax between the slates.

Randall Smith

bill.k...@lewistown.k12.mt.us

unread,

Nov 3, 2015, 3:44:10 PM11/3/15

to

I use beeswax and to keep the slate from separating as and added precaution I use a playing card in the joint with a touch of superglue. I have put tables together for years and have never had a single problem with this method.

tdev...@gmail.com

unread,

Jan 22, 2017, 1:24:37 PM1/22/17

to

Wouldnt the floating slate cause issue with bumps??

sa3...@gmail.com

unread,

Dec 4, 2019, 8:03:26 PM12/4/19

to

I am a pool table installer. We dont use bees wax because after time it tends to crack and is also not a good hold.

We currently use an automotive bondo with a cream hardener to seal the seems dries fast sands smooth and lasts a long time (dismantled pool tables that we put in 8+ years ago and still had to crack the seem to remove the slate)

sa3...@gmail.com

unread,

Dec 4, 2019, 8:05:09 PM12/4/19

to

The powdery issue is likely the table wasnt swept off after sanding the bondo down or he didnt mix in a cream hardener with it possibly.

candca...@gmail.com

unread,

Apr 10, 2020, 6:22:10 PM4/10/20

to

On Tuesday, March 27, 2001 at 6:58:25 PM UTC-5, JC wrote:
> Forgot to mention
>
> 15 years as a billiard mechanic

HI, with your experience you should know this one, as I cannot find the answer anywhere! I've looked online for hours!
The slate, is it suppose to be perfectly smooth? I bought a used table and the slate has like a grooved texture to it! Normal? or not?
Email me: I have a picture of the slate
Also; I can I melt glue gun sticks for the seams? I should I really use Durhams water putty?
My table is in Florida in a section of my shop that gets cold, hot and humid.
Thank you

Spokane72Chevelle

unread,

May 26, 2021, 5:20:11 PM5/26/21

to

My buddy over at J&S Construction mentioned that any filler will work out for you.. www.Remodel-Spokane.com has done so many high-end custom homes in our area, that he's seen lots of tables installed. Opinion aside, any good putty will be fine as long as you clean up your mess! #remodel_spokane